


One Last Gift Before You Go

by JosephThropp



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Comfort, Gen, Gift Giving, Goodbyes, Post-Episode: s06e19 I Am My Monster, Pre-Episode: s06e20 The Future, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:15:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25616479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JosephThropp/pseuds/JosephThropp
Summary: With only one month until he plans to depart from Beach City, Steven finds that a lot of his human friends in Beach City are ready to start saying their goodbyes. Funnily enough, all of them seem to come with a gift.
Relationships: Kiki Pizza & Steven Universe, Steven Universe & Everyone
Comments: 8
Kudos: 25





	One Last Gift Before You Go

**Author's Note:**

> I don't remember where I heard this idea, but to whoever once said that Future should've ended with Steven getting gifts from all his friends; Your brain is so huge and I respect you. Also, many many thanks to Abel for beta-ing for me as rigorously as he always does!

The sun was just beginning to dip below the horizon as Steven rounded the corner around the Big Donut in the Dondai, waving to Mr. Dewey as he did so. He was as tired as he always was after a session with Dr. Lin, but not as drained for a change. Today’s meeting was productive without being as intrusive as they sometimes had to be. Maybe he’d have the energy to sneak in a quick phone call with Connie.

Typically, whenever Steven was driving home, he’d pull up to an empty house. The gems were good about giving him space in the immediate aftermath of his session, just as he’d requested. Beach City residents were starting to drop by a little more often these days, but it was almost always for plans made _far_ in advance. With that in mind, he was surprised to find someone already walking up the stairs towards his front door as he approached. 

Steven recognized her as he parked on the sand below the deck. Kiki looked just as surprised to see him, her eyes widening as she gripped a bright pink bag stuffed full of tissue paper close to her chest. Apparently, they’d both caught the other off guard. Steven hopped out of the car after turning off the ignition, slinging his messenger bag over his shoulder. 

“Hey, Kiki,” he called, cupping a hand over his mouth.“You dropping off a pizza for Amethyst?” 

“Oh, hey Steven!” came her frazzled reply, “Nope, no pizza deliveries today! Sorry, I wasn’t expecting you to show up so suddenly!” 

That made sense, the bag in her arms looked more like a birthday gift than anything Fish Stew Pizza might deliver. Considering that Kiki’s only connection to the gems seems to be making a passable acquaintanceship with Pearl, Steven had a pretty safe bet on who the bag in her arms was for. It was still far off from his birthday, though. 

“It’s okay, traffic was surprisingly light on my way down, so I got back earlier than I normally do!” 

He began to climb the stairs, quickly joining Kiki on the balcony. She smiled at him as he approached, her tight grip on the bag loosening up a bit. Whatever was in there must’ve been decently sized, considering the bag itself was big enough to require more than one hand to carry. 

Naturally, Steven’s curiosity led him to wonder just what was going on. “So, no pizzas, but were you trying to deliver something else?” 

“Heh, I guess you caught me!” Kiki’s shoulders sagged in mock defeat as she looked down on the gift, a sad sort of smile crossing her face. “I was thinking I’d just leave it by the door. So much for that surprise.” 

“I’m still surprised!” Steven quickly assured her, “Do you wanna come in for a second while I open it?” 

The way Kiki’s eyes suddenly shifted away wasn’t lost on Steven. She definitely looked like she was considering booking a hasty retreat. His earnestness must’ve been effective in coercing her though, as she eventually looked back at him and gave a nod. 

“Alright, I’ll stick around. You’re gonna have to grab me a glass of water, though! I jogged all the way down here, y’know!” 

* * *

It didn’t take long to get Kiki settled on the couch with her water, Steven sitting to her right with the bag in his lap. He’d refrained from tearing into it right away, despite his curiosity bubbling up once he’d taken it from her. Just as he’d thought from looking at it, it was a pretty hefty package. 

“Is this like an early birthday gift? You didn’t have to do something this many months in advance.” 

“Nah, nothing like that!” Kiki was quick to wave off the suggestion. Something about the thought must’ve struck her though, as she suddenly looked a little off and set her water glass on the coffee table. 

“Are you okay?” Steven asked. 

“Yeah. I guess it’s just…” She chewed on her thumbnail as she paused, looking for the right words. “...it kind of _is_ an early birthday present, isn’t it? Since you’re not gonna be here in August.” 

_Oh._

Well, that accounted for the odd sort of unspoken tension around the whole situation that Steven had noticed. It had felt strangely familiar when he noticed Kiki trying to duck out of the situation before, and now he knew why. It was kind of similar to how he felt when he had to tell her and everyone about him leaving Beach City. 

There were only four weeks left at this point, just one month until his planned set-off date. He’d finished telling the general populace of Beach City at this point. All that was left was the gems, and _that_ was something he couldn’t stop himself from putting off. It was getting pretty down to the wire, but it was fine. He’d tell them. Eventually. 

In any case, Steven instantly understood the apprehension in Kiki. This was a really weird thing to think about, him not being here anymore. He’d struggled to tell everyone about it for that reason, so it was fair to expect everyone else to feel weird about it too now. 

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” he mumbled. 

A silence pervaded over them for a moment. It seemed that neither of them quite knew how to continue the conversation after that. 

Mercifully, Kiki was able to muscle through the tangible awkwardness after a moment. She forced herself to put on a smile as she scooted closer to Steven on the couch, gingerly placing a hand on his shoulder. 

“You’ve been having some rough sleep, right?” she asked. 

Steven blanched a bit in response. 

“I didn’t accidentally visit your dreams again, did I?” he asked, incredulous. “Oh, Kiki, I’m _so_ sorry, I’ve just been—” 

“Steven,” Kiki cut him off, “it’s okay, you didn’t do anything like that!” 

Her hand on his shoulder applied a little more pressure, offering a little assurance that things were okay. She went on, “It’s got nothing to do with me! I can tell just by looking at you!” 

Steven raised a brow. It was true that he’d had trouble sleeping, but he hadn’t realized it had gotten to the point where he _looked_ like it. 

“Oh boy, is it that obvious?” He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck self-consciously. 

“Eh, just a little bit. I’ve got the edge because I’ve been there, I know the telltale signs.” 

Kiki reached over to run her thumb lightly over the top of Steven’s right cheek, alluding to just what she meant. Those dark, stubborn circles under his eyes. And here he’d thought that the cucumber slice cold compresses he’d been doing were really helping out. 

“It’s been hard,” Steven admitted, conceding that there wasn’t much point in trying to act like things were normal, “I still have bad dreams a lot. Not as much as before, but it’s still at least once or twice a week.” 

Kiki hummed in acknowledgement, her hand tracing over the dark marks under Steven’s eyes for another moment before she pulled away. It was almost affectionate in a way, but still just odd enough for Steven to feel a little flustered by the whole thing. It was almost like Pearl, fussing over him with far too much fervor. 

“Yeah, even just a night or two will throw off your whole schedule,” Kiki said with a sage nod. “Hopefully what I got you can help out a little with all that.” 

The reference to the bag still in Steven’s lap drew his attention right back to it. He’d been so curious in the first place, and his interest was piqued even more now that he knew what was in the bag could allegedly help him sleep. Now _that_ was enticing. As it was, he could just about kill for even a few more restful hours. 

“So, can I open it?” he asked, eagerness seeping into his tone. 

“I guess it can’t hurt,” Kiki conceded with a shrug, “plus it’ll all be easier for you to pack without all the tissue paper.” 

With the gift giver’s blessing now granted, Steven began to dig through the package with aplomb. Bits of colorful paper were tossed aside as he made his way into the bag, hitting a small white box fairly close to the top. 

Kiki perked up a little as he pulled it out. “Ooh, yeah, that’s a good start! There’s like, three different things in there!” 

More to look forward to! In the meantime, Steven busied himself with opening the first little box. He slid out a few tabs and pulled a few sides until it popped open on the right. Tilting it on its side, he allowed it to spill its contents into his opposite, open hand. 

A soft little patch of pink fabric tumbled into his palm, with a notable lining of lighter pink fur. A black, elastic strap on the back made it clear just what it was. 

“Aw, it’s a cute little sleep mask!” Steven gushed, not hesitating to slip it on and over his eyes. 

“Yeah, I saw it and thought it was pretty cute. Plus, it matches that lion of yours!” 

“You’re right, that’s adorable!” 

Steven’s smile suddenly faltered a bit as a thought hit him. “I know he’ll never let me have the chance, but I _really_ wanna try to put this on him now.” 

“Uh, not after I spent my hard earned dollar and ninety five cents on it!” Kiki shot back, snatching the mask off of Steven’s head with a laugh, “Come on now, the surprises don’t end there.” 

She tossed the mask onto the table as Steven resumed tearing through the gift bag. More bits of paper flew out at his sides until he hit another box. Thankfully, this one was marked, meaning he wouldn’t have to go opening it up right this second to see what it was. 

“Ooh, an incense burner! Connie burns that stuff sometimes!” This was definitely something he was familiar with, but he didn’t quite see how it fit the theme. “How does this help you sleep, though?” 

“It’s _all_ in the scent, Steven,” Kiki explained, tapping a side of the box that advertised some included sticks. “Look out for lavender sticks like these, or even chamomile ones. That’s the good stuff that’ll put you out like a light!” 

“ _Woah.”_

He stopped staring so reverently at the box for a moment to turn to Kiki, his expression replaced with a more bittersweet one. “I know you said there’s a third thing in there, but this is already so thoughtful. I don’t remember the last time I got such a nice gift.” 

Steven smiled as he said so, feeling an entire array of emotions that he hadn’t expected to tonight. Kiki looked to be going through the same thing, as she chuckled jovially and reached up to wipe away a tear. Something about a goodbye present was just so good at inciting emotional reactions from everyone involved. 

“Aw, Steven, you gotta finish opening the present before you go and get me all worked up!” Kiki reached over to playfully push Steven’s shoulder. “I can’t see how much you like your stuff if I’ve got tears in my eyes!” 

The two shared a laugh for a moment as they did their best to collect themselves. Just one more thing from the bag, and then they could revel in whatever they were feeling for as long as they wanted. For now, Steven focused back on his last gift, pulling out the last bits of tissue paper from the very bottom of the package. 

Once he’d hit the last item at the bottom, Steven realized that this was what must’ve contributed the most to the gift bag’s heft. It was a clear package with a simple, powder blue blanket inside. It was plain and inconspicuous, minus the fact that it was heavier than it had any right to be based on appearance. 

“It’s a blanket, but it’s...heavy?” he asked. 

“Yep, that’s why they call it a ‘weighted blanket,’ I guess!” Kiki replied with a grin, “I don’t know much about the _how,_ but it really does help you sleep.” 

That sounded to Steven like the confidence that only came from someone with experience. “Do you use one?” 

“Sure do,” She confirmed. It’s kinda dumb, but it reminds me of when I was little. If Jenny or I was having a nightmare, we’d just hop in the other’s bed and feel a lot safer. It was less lonely and scary that way.” 

She reached over to pat the blanket, still in Steven’s hands. “This isn’t _quite_ the same, but it feels a little like that. It’s safe.” 

Without even needing to hear that explanation, Steven knew just what she meant. The thought called to mind _so many_ memories of his dad holding him close after waking up from a nightmare, back from those years in the van. Kiki had hit the nail on the head when she’d called it “safe,” because that was the exact feeling Steven would crave these days after waking up in a cold sweat. 

“It’s not dumb,” came his insistent reply, “that makes perfect sense.” 

Kiki perked up a little at the reassurance. “Yeah? So you like it?” 

“I love it,” he confirmed with a nod, “thank you.” 

Steven gave the package in his arms a quick little squeeze, but let it flop down on the table a second later. There was a better target for his hugs right now. He turned, scooting closer to wrap Kiki up in his arms. 

“Aww, I’m just glad you like it, Steven!” Kiki returned Steven’s hug readily, finally letting the tears she’d been staving off run down her face. 

They stayed like that for a few moments before pulling away, each of them wiping their wet eyes. Kiki stood from the couch after getting a hold on her tears, folding her hands in front of her. 

“Well, I’d love to stick around, but I should get home,” she said, a hint of regret in her voice. “I promised to help Jenny pack up some of her phone jacket things for shipping.” 

“Ooh, that’s super important.” There wasn’t even a hint of irony in Steven’s voice to suggest he was anything less than genuine in that statement. “Let me walk you out.” 

After picking up all the paper and the empty bag—recycling was important, after all—Steven accompanied Kiki out the front door and onto the deck. They stopped just before Kiki began to head down the stairs, as she turned to face him again. 

“Hey,” she began, sounding a little nervous again, “I know we never hung out as much as you did with Jenny and her friends, but I just wanted to say you can talk to me if anything comes up.” 

Kiki laid one of her hands on Steven’s shoulder before continuing. “I know that it’s been tough for you, but don’t be afraid to give me a call or a text or something if you just wanna vent about a bad dream, or whatever else you’ve got going on.” 

Steven paused for a minute, thinking over the offer. For the past few months, that was just something he’d just been doing with Connie. She was consistently the best about it, never making him feel bad when he did it, but he still didn’t like how tired she would look whenever he called her. It didn’t feel quite right, with her always having to help manage his fears when she was as tired as he was. 

He wasn’t really sure if taking Kiki up on her offer was something he would wanna do right away, but the fact that the offer was posed to him at all meant a lot. Like there really _was_ that support network out there that his therapist and family were telling him he could rely on. That was nice. 

Mirroring Kiki’s gesture and reaching up to lay his own hand on her shoulder, Steven gave a resolute nod. “Thanks, Kiki. I’ll think about that.” 

* * *

Just a few hours later, Steven felt more optimistic about settling down in bed than he had in a long while. He wasn’t sure if he was going to try out all the gifts that first night, but he decided he might as well after opening the incense burner to admire the gold star and moon pattern adorning it. If it was all open anyway, he might as well just give them all a shot. 

Remarkably enough, it worked. 

The smell of the burning incense permeated through the room faster than he thought it would, and Kiki was spot-on about the lavender scent. It couldn’t have been more than a few minutes until he was feeling a little drowsy. The sleep mask also helped quell his typical urges to grab his phone and watch just _one_ more TubeTube video before bed. 

Then there was the blanket, and oh _stars_ was that thing good. 

Some of Steven’s most restful sleeps in the past few months were instances where he and Connie had dozed off for an impromptu nap after only intending to relax for a minute. He couldn’t help it, there was just something about having someone’s arms wrapped around him that could just put him out, and especially if they were attached to someone he liked. 

While the blanket couldn’t really emulate the feeling of closeness to another person, the weighted sensation that sort of pinned him down to the bed was fulfilling all by itself. It was remarkable, and felt just like Kiki said it did. 

_Safe._ There was just no better word. 

It was safe enough that Steven’s last waking thoughts were occupied by lamenting notions about why he hadn’t ever looked into this before. He could’ve been avoiding all the grief of dreading sleep, if only he’d done a little research. 

_Oh well, c’est la vie._

It was with that last thought that Steven finally slipped into full-on slumber. 

For the first time in a while, he slept soundly. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much to everyone for reading! This is something I plan to keep coming back to for updates, so if you've got a favorite Boardie, be on the lookout for when they eventually show up! Also feel free to chat with me over on my [Twitter](https://twitter.com/JosephThropp) and [Tumblr](https://josephthropp.tumblr.com/) if you'd like!


End file.
